Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

On the electronic big screens in Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Ave Mujica's tour promotional videos are played at an unprecedented frequency.

With the resources from Ishikawa and the personal network of Ryuichi Yamamoto, the publicity efforts for the Tokyo station far exceeded expectations.

Newspaper columns, radio programs, subway ads, social media topics, and even spontaneous promotions by several well-known artists have created an unprecedented craze for Ave mujica.

It seems to be the band that is currently very popular.

But in fact, Ave mujica has not had more than five official performances.

After the "threat" of Hachiman Kailing was resolved, the issue of the "bassist" alternative could be put aside for the time being.

Everything developed very much in line with Miss Xiangzi's wishes.

Besides the annoying nasty taste of the bastard who occupied his body!

Time quickly came to the next day's rehearsal.

Ave mujica rehearsal room.

The door was pushed open, and sunlight poured in from the corridor, drawing a bright line on the floor.

Standing at the door were Kujo Renji... and Hachiman Kairin, who seemed a little uneasy for some reason.

Sankaku Hatsuka's hand, which was adjusting the microphone, paused slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his golden eyes; Wakaba Mu raised his head from the guitar strings, and Yutenji Wakamu put down his drumsticks.

"Sorry to have kept everyone waiting."

The blue-haired girl walked in.

What surprised people, or to be more precise, Miao, was that Hachiman Kailing - she did not walk straight to her seat as usual, but slightly turned sideways, waiting for Kujo Renji to enter the rehearsal room first, and then followed.

Yutenji Wakami's innate ability to read the air immediately came into play.

—What’s going on?! What’s going on!?

Sanjiao Chuhua blinked in confusion, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them. She keenly sensed a subtle shift in the air—Hailing's posture was no longer as straight as it had been, as if she had consciously lowered her presence.

"Hailing, Xiaoxiang, did you come together today?" Sanjiao Chuhua couldn't help but ask, with undisguised curiosity in his voice.

"Well, we met at the door of the building."

Hachiman Kairei answered lightly, but her eyes subtly avoided Sankaku Hatsuka's gaze:

"Just happened to come up together."

This explanation obviously couldn't satisfy Sanjiao Chuhua's curiosity, but she was sensitive enough to know that now was not the time to ask further questions.

She just nodded and continued to debug her equipment, but couldn't help but sneak a peek at their interaction from time to time.

Although Wakaba Mutsu didn't know what was going on, her natural sensitivity allowed her to capture the change in the atmosphere.

The almost palpable tension of the previous rehearsals was gone.

Although she didn't understand the reason, Ruo Yemu decided to accept the change. No matter what happened, at least this peaceful atmosphere made her feel at ease - under the shadow of stage fright, a harmonious team atmosphere was particularly important to her.

"We can begin now." Kujo Renji paused, then smiled and said, "Follow the arrangement Hailing proposed earlier."

At the drum position, Yutenji Wakamu's expression became more and more subtle.

As the member of the band who was best at observing changes in interpersonal relationships, she saw the huge change in Hachiman Kairei's attitude more clearly than anyone else.

It was not just simple obedience, but a kind of loyalty with a subtle sense of submission.

Yutenji Wakamu recognized this attitude—she herself had shared a similar expression after experiencing the devastation of having her account banned. It was the mark of someone completely tamed, the reshaping of a deep-seated resistance that had been completely shattered.

When the rehearsal began, Yutenji Wakami was completely unable to focus on the music.

She beat the drum mechanically, but her purple eyes kept moving back and forth between Kujo Renji and Hachiman Kailing, like an alert cat staring at strange movements.

Something is wrong, something is so wrong!

Her inner drama began to emerge continuously.

Yutenji Wakamu thought he had the sharpest social radar in the band, but now this radar was sounding the alarm like crazy.

The atmosphere, the way of speaking, the subconscious movements, the words, and the feeling of deliberately hiding something!

——Something must have happened between these two people!

A series of possibilities flashed through Yutenji Wakamu's mind, each one more outrageous than the previous one.

Could it be that... Toyokawa Shoko threatened Hai Ling? Just like she threatened me?

The premonition she had a few days ago turned out to be correct! She knew that Toyokawa Shoko would not let Hachiman Kailing off easily.

But she hadn't expected the other party to act so quickly! In just a few days, Hai Ling... had been trained to this state?!

Yutenji Wakamu's drumming missed a beat, drawing a puzzled look from Kujo Renji.

She quickly put on an apologetic smile and regained her rhythm, but her inner reasoning engine was already running at full speed.

During a break in the rehearsal, Yutenji Wakamugi noticed Hachiman Kairei walk to the refrigerator in the corner and pull out two bottles of water. She hesitated, then handed one to Kujo Renji.

Wait—Hailing offered to get water for Toyokawa Shoko?

And Toyokawa Shoko's posture is so familiar.

It was the same feeling she had when she was in the hotel!

What's that called...

Sense of control?

A bold idea suddenly formed in Yutenji Wakamu's mind.

Could it be... Could it be that they...

At this moment, a key scene unfolded before her eyes.

Hachiman Kairei accidentally knocked over the music stand, sending the sheet music scattering across the floor. As she bent over to pick it up, a small object slipped out of her bag—a black... maid's headdress?

Yutenji Wakamu's pupils suddenly contracted, like a cat that discovered a huge crisis.

Maid headdress?! Why is there a maid headdress in Hachiman Kairei's bag?!

Hachiman lunged at the headdress with astonishing speed, her movements so swift she barely left an afterimage. Her fingers grasped the fabric with pinpoint precision, while her body practically slid along the ground, attempting to block the view of others.

But her panic was too obvious. She hurriedly stuffed the headdress back into her bag and only breathed a sigh of relief when she found that no one was paying attention to her.

—No one noticed...?

Yutenji Wakamu felt as if his brain had been struck by lightning, and all kinds of fragmented information instantly pieced together into an absurd yet reasonable picture.

Is this how Toyokawa Shoko tamed Hailing? !

Could it be that some kind of...special relationship has developed between them? !

Did Toyokawa Shoko turn Hailing into a maid?!

Yutenji Wakamu's mind was already spinning with all sorts of adult manga-esque plots, practically steam rising from it. She felt like her fur was about to explode, and the drumsticks in her hand nearly slipped out of her hand.

This is crazy! This is too much! This is too...

"Ruomai? Ruomai!" Sanjiao Chuhua's voice brought her back to reality: "Are you okay? You look so scary..."

Only then did Yutenji Wakamu realize that he had been standing there for several minutes, his mouth slightly open and his eyes as big as copper bells.

"I...I'm fine!"

She stammered out a reply, forcing herself back to sit on the drum kit, her mind still in turmoil.

In the following rehearsals, Yutenji Wakami was completely unable to concentrate.

Her eyes kept wandering between Kujo Renji and Hachiman Kairei. Every time she caught an eye contact or a subtle body movement, a storm would surge in her heart.

So this is the truth?!

Hai Ling's situation became the same as his own... a prisoner?!

No, no, Hailing is wearing a maid outfit, and I have cat ears...

Isn't my status lower than Hailing's?

This thought made Yutenji Wakamu feel a suffocating panic, and the drumsticks in his hands missed the rhythm again, making a harsh and discordant sound.

"Ruomai, focus."

Kujo Renji's voice came calmly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his amber eyes.

“Yes, I’m sorry!!”

Yutenji Wakamu apologized immediately, her voice an octave higher than usual, and she almost bit her tongue.

Calm down, calm down! Why am I so panicked?

Yutenji Wakamugi forced his attention back to the music score, but the shock in his heart could not be calmed down.

As the rehearsal continued, she realized with horror that the emotion that kept running through her heart was not pure fear, but a more complex feeling of... crisis?

This terrible thought split her mind like a bolt of lightning.

No, that's not right... What sense of crisis?!

A more terrifying truth emerged from the depths of Yutenji Wakamu's heart:

She was worried that her special status as a "pet" was threatened. If even someone as proud as Hai Ling could be tamed, wouldn't her "rare value" be greatly reduced?

Wait, wait, wait! What the hell was I thinking?

Yutenji Wakamu's face turned red instantly and he almost hit the wrong rhythm again.

She shook her head frantically, as if trying to get rid of these ridiculous thoughts.

How could I possibly want to be a pet?! I'm just... just worried that Toyokawa Shoko might regret it! Yes, that's it!

I was worried that she might change her mind and not let me take off the mask at Osaka Station! That's why I was nervous!

It is not clear what Yutenji Wakamaki is thinking.

All Kujo Renji knew was that the other party had disrupted the rhythm again and again during rehearsal, which made him quite annoyed.

Do you love this keycap again?

..

As time went by, the rehearsals went smoothly and Ave mujica's momentum grew.

In order to consolidate its "basic base", the agency reserved about fifty VIP seats and held a lottery on its official account.

Because of the publicity from many self-media and "artists", the lottery has become quite popular.

at the same time.

Chihaya Aine was lying on the bed, scrolling through her phone, her long pink hair scattered on the pillow, her gray eyes fixed intently on the screen.

Her fingers quickly switched between various social platforms, searching for the topic that had suddenly become popular recently - Ave mujica's masked ball.

She first learned about this band from Miao Meng’s video. At that time, the band was not that popular, but its novel concept and clothing design still attracted her.

Later, after watching many live videos, she also became a fan of the band. Now, seeing Ave mujica become a popular band, she feels a sense of honor.

Doesn’t this just prove that I have good vision?

As a "real" girl, Chihaya Aine is well aware of most of the current "trends" and "trends".

To do this, you have to surf the Internet frequently.

So Chihaya Aine is also a "master of Internet (bad memes)", and she will forward some interesting stories to the MYGO group chat from time to time.

If you open the MYGO group chat, you will find that most of the meaningless content is sent by Chihaya Aion.

He can be called the king of Internet history.

Just like last week.

"Do you know about 'reverse fortune-telling'? It's about deliberately doing something that the fortune-telling says you shouldn't do, and then things actually go smoothly! It's super popular lately!"

The accompanying picture is a photo of a pink-haired girl holding an inverted tarot card.

Two days later, she excitedly posted: "The 'Three-Second Out-of-Body Experience Challenge' has gone viral! Stare at yourself in the mirror for three seconds, then suddenly yell 'I'm not me'. It's said to be a magical experience. Anyone trying it?"

There are also things like the "Cat Universe Conspiracy Theory"—a ridiculous theory that claims cats around the world are actually observers from another dimension, gaining energy by gazing at humans. Aiyin not only forwarded the related article, but also posted a photo of a cat at the door staring at her, and wrote:

"No wonder the wild cat keeps looking at me like that! It must be sucking my energy!"

At the beginning, some people in the group still paid attention to her.